Match Report: Greenhills/Greenpark 2-3 Seaford Rock United
LSL Sat Major 1c
Seaford relied on their luck, and an extraordinary goalkeeping performance from Eoin English, to pilfer an ill-deserved win away at Greenhills Greenpark.
On the back of a 5-0 shellacking against Greystones United a week earlier, and with a lengthy injury list, Alan Burns's side seemed low on confidence, and the home side ought to have established a comfortable lead in the first half.
Greenhills winger Audri Sandé had already been denied once by a smart stop by English when he gave the greens the lead on just 6 minutes, nicking the ball past the onrushing keeper after Fergus Brady's diagonal through-ball was poorly defended by the visitors.
Gary Seery almost doubled the lead with a spectacular bicycle kick from Karl Kearns's cross, and Owen Curtin also went close for Greenhills, with English stopping his initial effort, and also denying him as he tried to squeeze the rebound in from a tight angle.
Seaford didn't lay a glove on the home side until late in the half. John Bannon's inch-perfect throughball found Mark Sullivan, but the pacey striker lifted his shot just over the bar.
Sullivan made no mistake in the 44th minute, however, as Bannon drilled another fine pass into him, aided by a clever dummy by Collie Dolan, and Sullivan slotted the ball past Paul Lyons.
If the 1-1 halftime scoreline flattered Seaford, the home side's domination continued in the second period. A blunder by Caoimhin Fahy let in diminutive substitute Hardy Shampe, who teed up Seery, but English blocked his effort with his shins.
When the same pair combined on 58 minutes, English produced a miracle save to deny a certain goal. Seery's backheel offered Shampe what seemed to be a simple tap-in, but the Seaford stopper flew across his goal and somehow parried the shot wide of the mark.
And Seaford took full advantage of their keeper's heroics when Rory O'Huiginn gave them the lead minutes later, punishing a blunder by substitute Charlie Murray to prod home Paul Lydon's scooped pass.
The lead was short-lived, however. Sandé set up Shampe, who expertly lifted the ball over English from a tight angle and found the far corner.
From there, Greenhills looked the more likely winners, earning a string of corner kicks. From one delivery, English surpassed himself with a breathtaking save low to his right, parrying Seery's 15-yard shot around the post.
Once again, Seaford made the most of the opportunity. From Mark Cullen's slide rule pass, with less than five minutes remaining, Sullivan beat the offside trap and nicked the ball away from Lyons, who recklessly clattered into the Seaford man, studs first. The referee pointed the spot, but brandished only a yellow card for Lyons. Substitute Francis Mulhall, making his first appearance for the first team in several seasons, blasted the penalty kick into the net to secure a fortunate 3-2 win.
With in-form rivals Liffey Wanderers due to travel to Rockfield Park next week, Seaford know that a marked improvement in performance is needed all over the park. But, not for the first time this season, it was a question of grinding out the three points despite a lousy display and leaving the opponents to bemoan their bad luck.
Seaford: E English; J Bannon, J Nolan , C Fahy; A Finnegan; R O'Huiginn (T Crichlow, 87), P Shelton, C Dolan, S Faherty (M Cullen, 55),; M Sullivan, P Lydon (F Mulhall, 82). Goals: M Sullivan (44), R O'Huiginn (66), F Mulhall (85 pen)
Greenhills Greenpark FC: P Lyons; E Cahill, D Tippons, D Reid, R Lee (C Murray, 59), O Curtin, K Kearns (D Haybyrne, 75), G Brady, G Seery, M Jones (H Shampe, 15), A Sandi. Goals: Sandi (6), Shampe (69)
St Paul's Secondary School, 13 February 2016
On the back of a 5-0 shellacking against Greystones United a week earlier, and with a lengthy injury list, Alan Burns's side seemed low on confidence, and the home side ought to have established a comfortable lead in the first half.
Greenhills winger Audri Sandé had already been denied once by a smart stop by English when he gave the greens the lead on just 6 minutes, nicking the ball past the onrushing keeper after Fergus Brady's diagonal through-ball was poorly defended by the visitors.
Gary Seery almost doubled the lead with a spectacular bicycle kick from Karl Kearns's cross, and Owen Curtin also went close for Greenhills, with English stopping his initial effort, and also denying him as he tried to squeeze the rebound in from a tight angle.
Seaford didn't lay a glove on the home side until late in the half. John Bannon's inch-perfect throughball found Mark Sullivan, but the pacey striker lifted his shot just over the bar.
Sullivan made no mistake in the 44th minute, however, as Bannon drilled another fine pass into him, aided by a clever dummy by Collie Dolan, and Sullivan slotted the ball past Paul Lyons.
If the 1-1 halftime scoreline flattered Seaford, the home side's domination continued in the second period. A blunder by Caoimhin Fahy let in diminutive substitute Hardy Shampe, who teed up Seery, but English blocked his effort with his shins.
When the same pair combined on 58 minutes, English produced a miracle save to deny a certain goal. Seery's backheel offered Shampe what seemed to be a simple tap-in, but the Seaford stopper flew across his goal and somehow parried the shot wide of the mark.
And Seaford took full advantage of their keeper's heroics when Rory O'Huiginn gave them the lead minutes later, punishing a blunder by substitute Charlie Murray to prod home Paul Lydon's scooped pass.
The lead was short-lived, however. Sandé set up Shampe, who expertly lifted the ball over English from a tight angle and found the far corner.
From there, Greenhills looked the more likely winners, earning a string of corner kicks. From one delivery, English surpassed himself with a breathtaking save low to his right, parrying Seery's 15-yard shot around the post.
Once again, Seaford made the most of the opportunity. From Mark Cullen's slide rule pass, with less than five minutes remaining, Sullivan beat the offside trap and nicked the ball away from Lyons, who recklessly clattered into the Seaford man, studs first. The referee pointed the spot, but brandished only a yellow card for Lyons. Substitute Francis Mulhall, making his first appearance for the first team in several seasons, blasted the penalty kick into the net to secure a fortunate 3-2 win.
With in-form rivals Liffey Wanderers due to travel to Rockfield Park next week, Seaford know that a marked improvement in performance is needed all over the park. But, not for the first time this season, it was a question of grinding out the three points despite a lousy display and leaving the opponents to bemoan their bad luck.
Seaford: E English; J Bannon, J Nolan , C Fahy; A Finnegan; R O'Huiginn (T Crichlow, 87), P Shelton, C Dolan, S Faherty (M Cullen, 55),; M Sullivan, P Lydon (F Mulhall, 82). Goals: M Sullivan (44), R O'Huiginn (66), F Mulhall (85 pen)
Greenhills Greenpark FC: P Lyons; E Cahill, D Tippons, D Reid, R Lee (C Murray, 59), O Curtin, K Kearns (D Haybyrne, 75), G Brady, G Seery, M Jones (H Shampe, 15), A Sandi. Goals: Sandi (6), Shampe (69)
St Paul's Secondary School, 13 February 2016